


Vogelchen

by Vesta_Nyx



Category: Magic the Gathering, Rammstein
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Dark Magic, F/M, Magic-Users, Multi, Other, Succubi & Incubi, Vampires, Voodoo, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:14:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22983094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vesta_Nyx/pseuds/Vesta_Nyx
Summary: a fanfic revamped one chapter at a time. see notes for more deatils with each uploaded chapter
Relationships: Richard Kruspe/Original Female Character(s), Till Lindemann/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

*Prologue*

_She did her best to quiet her breath as it burned through her nose and out of her mouth. The biting, rigid winter air did nothing to ease the pain of overworked lungs with the cold of the ice and snow soaking through her stockings and shoes. there wasn’t much time to think about the pain and the many places it came from when her pursuer was not that far behind her. Her fingers treamored while she cupped her hands over her breath hoping that the cold skin would cover the vapors and keep her fingers from frostbite._

_“Vögelchen… Mein Vögelchen.”_

_The cold feeling returned to her gut with an all too real fear beginning to consume her._

_The sinking of her destruction drawing ever closer._

_“Du hast mich verletzt, wenn du so wegläufst. Sie wissen, wie wütend es mich macht.” The clam in his voice weakly masked the unhinged rage and malice he truly felt. Knowing now that running away only made things worse. She used to think that her father was cruel with his punishment of deserters. Warning her that he would not suffer cowards with every execution._

_“running will always makes it worse.” He would say before delivering the final mercy himself. Looking her dead in her eyes, making sure that she did not look away and scowling at her lack of ruthlessness. But she didn’t have the time to think about her father, she needed to think about herself._

_She tracked his scent in the air, thankful that the wound she dealt him did not clot. He was closer than she realized, but not enough to close the distance; throwing his voice over to make her worry, to make her misstep and give herself away._

_“keep moving.” She muttered against the wind, forcing her legs to move, forcing her feet to run as fast as she could. There was no more feeling in her feet and legs while she raced through sharp branches and iced over brambles as the tree closed in to cage her. She struggled against the birch and evergreen tearing at her dress and cutting her skin open. The more she resisted the more the trees seemed to hold her back suffocating her in a claustrophobic grip._

_“your making it harder than it has to be” he said._

_With a voice colder than winter he made the trees still again with taught branches locking her in place forcing her eyes to stare upon the man that had been chasing her all this time. He stood before her, a head taller than her father, and just as wide. His armor was stained with the scars of a fresh battle smudged with soot and blood that wasn’t his. Her eyes began to water at the thought of it being her father’s dreading the possibility that he could’ve been killed._

_“it’s beautiful how you weep for your kin… I'm touched to see such compassion.”_

_His gauntlets reminded her of the talons of a Black Eagle clutching the collar of her dress as his grip was enough for the trees to let her go. He towered over her, a looming death. With bloody eyes that were calm with ire and hatred, he pinned her against a tree as he revealed a long sharp artifact from his sheath._

_“Erlaube mir diesen Moment und ich verspreche dir die süßeste Barmherzigkeit.”_

_He was stoic as could be. Unmoved and unphased by the violence he was to bestow upon her through his weapon of choice._

_“no” she thought to herself watching his raise his weapon for the killing blow. “I don’t want to die!” she screamed clawing deep into his eyes. He recoiled, dropping her as he flailed about in pain. His grip upon her and the forest gone with enough time to make her escape._

_“come back…COME BACK!” his screams followed her until she could no longer hear him, his voice fading into the howls of the wind. She ran until the light of the dawn peeked about the horizon, her feet finally giving way to the drawl of a slowed and tired walk. She was out of the forest, out of his reach and far away from danger. Yet her mind couldn’t get her body to stop moving, to stop her feet from taking one step after another. She was being called to keep going, called to go further east until she heard a rushing river._

_“mother?”_

_She rushed as fast as she could to the edge of the forest, looking upon the calm rapids of the river below her. Streams of white and blue rushed past her in a flurry down stream to destinations unknown unable to see how deep or shallow the river truly was. however, as she looked upon the surface she could see her mother on the other side coaxing her to jump. fatigued and exhausted she thought her mind was playing tricks on her, making the poor girl hallucinate that her mother was on the other side, waiting for her._

_“mother…i'm glad its you.” A relieved smile slowly bloomed upon her face as she knelt upon the edge._

_“i'm coming mother…I just—need to rest for a bit” No sooner did she close her eyes, did she fall head first into the river. Its depth was beyond what she had hoped, watching as the bright light of the surface became smaller and smaller as the current began to pull her away into the darkness._

_“just for a little while.”_


	2. Fluss geboren und fehl am Platz.

To her surprise she wasn’t dead. Her skin wasn’t rotted away to be feasted upon by the fish and crabs bellow nor was she floating about aimlessly in shallow waters. She was far below the surface and deep within the river. There was no sense of time about her, no way to tell what night or day was. She had to assume that she had been down there for a day, maybe a week at most. Taking all the time she needed to heal her wounds and gathering her bearings. Despite how weak the aether was, she still felt the ley-lines beneath her filling her body with its ancient magic.

“ _it shouldn’t be much longer now.”_

She could feel the sting of the cuts lessening with the lacerations to her feet and hands finally healing completely.

“ _once my wounds heal, I should make my way to my Uncle.”_ She curled into herself feeling the current pass by her as a gentle spring breeze. “ _He should still be in Prussia; I have to tell him what happened. But how am I going to get there?”_

She thought back to her ordeal, doing her best to recall what had happened. Going back to how the night began, the sun was setting with its peach and orange light filling her bedroom and her servants busy at their work. her bathwater was becoming cold as she sat within the tub her body refusing to calm itself. Her fiancé was announced earlier that day, after a year of searching and negotiating her father had finally found a suitable husband. There was an air of relief that surrounded her. everyone seemed happy enough that the young mistress was to finally be married, everyone but the bride-to-be.

_“he’s a good man of noble blood and vast wealth. He can provide for you—protect you.”_

She stared at the portrait that was given to her as her father continued to list off her fiancé’s many qualifications. He seemed to be handsome enough, with stark pale skin and raven hair. There was a refinement in his gaze as he was an heir to a Wealthy Vampire clan with considerable power within the Polish Kingdom. She liked that he didn’t take part in the aristocratic trend of ambiguity with frivolous clothes and pastel colors. Through his portrait alone she could feel his strong aura. Indeed, he was a man of stature and power. Along with him generous enough to not only pay the dowry two-fold and made the trip personally, there was no room for her to refuse.

 _“there is no need to waste your energy scrying the portrait. you will see for yourself his worthiness of you.”_ He took the portrait away from her beginning the slideshow of the night. From when her fiancé arrived to sharing the first dance with him. It all blurred together in a rose-colored haze of a bright potential future. If the night had ended differently, she would be happily dancing to her room as most girls her age would’ve gleefully planning her wedding day. Yet, what could’ve been was shattered by a violent reality. She saw her home engulfed in flames, the people around her gunned down. the recollection of a bright beginning blurred into a chaotic slideshow of misfortune and loss. Hearing the screams of people suffering around her as she fled the carnage. Feeling the heat of his eyes burning deep into ski. Their angry hue seared by hatred and wild emotions chased after her, threatening to destroy her. She could still feel his grip tight around her collar watching the steel of his weapon raised above her head. 

She didn’t know who the stranger was, but he knew her and her family well enough to stage such a bold assault. Taunting her with familiarity and going as far as to call her his _“little bird”_ **Mein Vögelchen.** She didn’t want to think about what would’ve happened if she didn’t react, the need to survive overwhelming into a moment of pure instinct.

her own anger propelled her freedom against her assailant to the present stalemate in the depths of the river. She didn’t notice at the time how tender and fragile his skin was how it felt less like living flesh and more like the skin of a corpse. It was delicate and infirm breaking so easily under her dull claws splattering black blood upon the white snow.

_I shouldn’t dwell on this right now._

She shook her head and looked towards the bright opening of the surface noticing that her wound had healed properly. _I need to focus on the task at hand._

She swam towards the light. Where once the opening was small it slowly began to grow the farther, she got from the ley-line. Closer and closer the opening became bigger and brighter until she could see the light of a full moon rising above the tree line. She quickened her pace towards the surface, breaking through the surface taking a deep breath of fresh air. The winter air was refreshing in her well rested lungs, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. There was something in the air that was different, it tasted weird on her tongue and weighed a heavy scent in her nose. Wading in the neck deep water she turned around at every angel, from her right to her left, and behind there was no one around. Making the forest a perfect void of soundlessness.

_It’s too…quiet._

She swam with the current of the river, allowing it to carry her to shallower waters, soon feeling the sand of the river bead beneath her feet.

She walked the rest of the way in the ankle-deep water her dress weighing her down from her time spent under-water. Looking around she gazed upon the welcoming light of the full moon gazing at its silver halo surrounded by a sky full of stars. Its silvery light bounced off the green of the spruce trees as they danced in the winter gale, leading her to the climbing pillar of white smoke. She could tell from the distance and the girth of the smoke that a village or town must be nearby. She felt the corners of her lips turn into a hopeful smile as she hurried towards the smoke. Tunneling her vision from the forest before her she could see the silhouette of a manor not too far off. Judging by the brightness of the lights, there must have been a ball or a great feast. Her smile beamed at the idea of good food and a warm bed and if the host was kind enough, previsions for her journey to her Uncle. her lungs began to burn with the quickness of her breaths and the pace of her speed. It was harder for her to run with the cold fabric sticking to places where it shouldn’t, chaffing her delicate skin.

But, there was little time to think of the pain and the cold with so much at stake. she had to get to safety, to get as far away form danger as she possibly could, she knew it would only be a matter of time before her scent would permeate the air and there was no telling where the stranger was. Looking back into that terrifying moment, the look in his eyes wasn’t that of a coward. She could run no longer, her legs feeling weighed down with the slower pace through the forest. She didn’t notice that the ground had changed until she felt a sharp pain in the arch of her foot. Stopping mid stride, she looked down to her feet, her stockings strangely torn and blackened upon the ground. As loose and mossy dirt gave way to gravel and tiny stones.

_This must be the property line._

She thought to herself as she began to carefully walk towards a cobble stone path with the wilderness around her fading into the manicured gardens of a family graveyard. From what she could see of the manor it was expansive and well maintained with a rococo decadency she only saw in fairytales. She stepped along the smooth stones walking among the graves, finding the silence unsettling. There was always a conversation among the dead, be it in the creaking of their caskets to full blown discussions between spirits. Yet here, there was nothing. Not even the moaning of a freshly dead corpse or the presence of an ancestor that refused to pass on. The oddities continued the closer she came to the manor. Watching strange people walk within the grounds dressed in stranger clothes. Judging by the shape, color and simplicity she could assume that they were of the working class watching as they hauled around complex machines and contraptions. Her eyes darted towards the lamps that caused the light she had seen only yards away. Craning joints of steel and glass loomed over the garden space next to the graveyard while more strangely dressed people went to work elsewhere. There was shouting and talking all around her, their Germanic speech grating against her ears. 

_What is this place?_

She did her best to maneuver around where no one could see her, far away from the improper speech and dialect that was giving her a headache. Inching closer to the interior of the ball room only a few more yards away. There she saw the familiar scene of a winter ball, the attendees were dressed in black gowns and attire of a masquerade theme. All but one lady who was dressed from head to toe in red.

_She must be the Lady of the Manor. But why is she wearing red?_

She crept closer to the window watching as the woman in red played cards at a table with other ladies of stature, from the window she could see that she was playing with a tarot card deck unknowingly divining out her own misfortune.

“was ist das?” she quickly covered her mouth with her hands upon hearing her voice reverse to when she was a child. _What’s happening, why do I sound like a child?!_ She frantically touched her face and hair feeling the bouncy round youth of a sixteen-year-old girl. She looked closer into the window, analyzing her own reflection in the glass. She looked younger than she was earlier, no longer on the cusp of womanhood with her gown becoming ill-fitted from the reversal of her age, and the water damage it had taken on from its time in the river. _I am a child, how long was I underwater?!_ Immersed in her thoughts, she didn’t see the figure of a man approaching her rightfully startled with the grasp of his hand upon her shoulder as he turned her away from the window. Her gaze fixed upon the taller man, dressed in the strange clothes. His blue eyes were sunken in and exhausted as he seemed frustrated at her being there.

“Hey, hörst du zu? Warum bist du nicht geschminkt?” his frustration became worse as the young lady looked at him with scared confusion and said nothing. “beeil dich und mach dich bereit, wir brennen Tageslicht!”

His grip was tight on her arm as he pulled her away from the window and away from the ill fortuned girl, even as the young woman looked over her shoulder for a passing glance she saw the mark of death upon the woman’s pale neck and fought against the man to go back.

“lass mich gehen, sie ist in Gefahr!” she screamed at the man as few others looked to see what was going on. Watching the young woman fight against his grip on her as he pulled her along effortlessly “Sie trägt das Zeichen des Todes, ich muss ihr helfen!”

“genug!” he yelled at her, pulling the young woman into a dressing room that already had a team of women in there waiting for her. “if I hear one more time this _marked for death_ business, I will report you to the Magistrate.” His aura was enough to quiet the girl pursing her lips taught and looking away from the man.

 _“Magistrate, who is this person supposed to be?”_ she was helpless as he pulled her along the corridor, she had little time to gather her surrounding catching quick glimpses of the people and rooms around her. from what she could see the many rooms were filled with people putting on makeup and costumes. All of them seemed to be speaking the same broken and crude German that the man had just screamed at her in. “ _perhaps this is not a manor at all. Have I happened into those dens of pleasure my Cousin warned me about.?!”_

The panic was growing in her chest a burrowing pain. Unable to free herself from the man’s grip she had no choice but to follow him deeper into the corridor until he came to a half open door at the end of the hallway. She could smell it, the familiar scent of the profane muddled with the odor of demon’s familiar. The air reeked of night-shade and sulfur as the man flung the door open to an old demoness and her assistant. Both of which didn’t seemed surprised to see the young woman as she could see them in their true demonic forms, shocked that the human man wasn’t phased by it.

“you need to keep better watch of your Termagants. If I catch another one out of line you’ll— “be in the streets begging for cock and rice. With a cross up my ass.” She walked over to the director coolly blowing smoke in his face as her fangs curled into a cunning smile. “Is that all Mr. Director?” the young woman noticed the ancient tone in the older woman’s voice. As the man scoffed at her rudeness, shoving past the young girl and slamming the door behind him.

“don’t worry, he’s all bark and no bite Verlorener.” 

The older woman took a long drag of her cigarette, peering at the young woman with her milky white eyes while her assistant began to get things ready. “…what happened to your beautiful dress, such wonderful embroidery. was it not fitted right? Or did you steal it from your older sister?” the young woman could’ve sworn the woman was blind and was unsettled by the details she was able to point out about her gown. And the sudden hearty laugh she gave.

“ha ha! I only tease child, come little Verlorener you’ve had a long journey” with jovial words the older woman ushered her gentle to the chair before the vanity mirror helping her take a seat upon the strange seat. Shooing her assistant away the woman looked intently at the young woman once again taking a long smoke of her cigarette; while her long fingers began to carefully pluck the jewels and debris from her kinky hair

“I’ve been with the Magistrate for a long time. Yet I haven’t met one such as you before… what is your name Verlorener?” the young woman said nothing, keeping her nervous gaze to the floor. This didn’t bother the older woman much as she continued her work of carefully undoing her hair.

“ahh, a shy one this must be your first time on set otherwise they would’ve told you to dress in black. Not to worry, this is an easy fix.” The demoness began to -redo her hair, replacing the diamonds and crystal roses, with onyx florals and a crown of black feathers around a modest bun. “now there is a face to be _red_ with envy with. All that’s needed is a dress to _pierce the heart_ with.” As the older woman lifted the young lady’s chin to get a better look of her beauty, watching as her brown eyes gazed into her white irises. She saw the woman in red in her eyes, lifeless and in a pool of her own blood, with shadows surrounding her. yet as the vision ended the young lady found herself alone in the dressing room with the Demoness and her assistant long gone.

_I knew it wasn’t just make-up the Lady **is** marked for death._

She paced back and forth as she slipped out of her ruined engagement dress thinking on what she should do. She could easily ignore the vision and go about her way to her uncle, surely there were other aristocrats in the area that could help her. she had no reason or obligation to save the lady’s life, not when her own family was in danger. But she simply couldn’t do nothing. She _saw_ the mark, she _saw_ her death before her and couldn’t un-see it. Against her better judgement and her own self-interest the young lady was able to conjure the gown for her name day upon her supple skin, guarding it with its heavy black fabric and ox-blood accents, better blending into the atmosphere. Placing the veil over her face, she quietly left the dressing room and made her way back down the long corridor, perfectly blending into the sea of people being ushered into the expansive ballroom. she maneuvered between the cliques of guest dressed in black, catching a glimpse of the Lady in Red as she too moved further and further away.

 _Where is she going?_ She watched her linger at the threshold of a large doorway, looking longingly before vanishing to the other side. _It’s too dangerous to be outside… if she’s not careful—_

A sudden chill slinked down her spine as she looked over her shoulder to see what appeared to be a dead man walking past her. his skin was waxy and off colored, looking bloated and clammy even his eyes lost the color of life as he seemed to be pursuing the Lady in Red. But all it took was the red ring upon his finger for her to recognize what the creature was.

_An Alp?_

She watched him in slow motion take his strides towards the Lady silently moving along to follow him. She didn’t realize that her magic had activated on its own slipping her in **the World between Worlds**. Time moved slower in the plane, as she walked about in the monochrome haze following the suspected Alp to where the woman in red was waiting. the young woman watched the Alp kneel before her, presenting a token that was left behind. It was then that she heard it. Looking up she saw a strange machine above as it rattled right above the Lady in Red. She watched as the water slowly began to shower above the pair as rain, watching as the attachment somehow broke apart, with the sharp end propelling towards the Lady, aiming for her heart as the pair kissed passionately

_Pierce the Heart....he’s going to kill her!_

She ran as fast as she could, her time in the World between worlds ending as the weapon fell closer to it mark, she squeezed through the pair pushing the Alp and the Lady out of the way. with her magic running out, the young lady made it just in time to save the Lady from her death, pushing her away from danger just as the sharp end impaled into the ground. the metal hummed as it vibrated in the stone ground shocking everyone that saw. Even the director who chastised the young lady before was stupefied at what he saw, blankly staring at the girl as she helped the latter.

“Geht es dir gut, meine Dame?” the girl spoke, noticing that the death mark upon her chest had begun to fade away as the woman dressed in red looked at her with wide brown eyes, doing nothing but nodding to her question. She was captivated by the young lady’s exotic features and sterling silver eyes. Surprised at her kindness as she helped her up form the wet ground.

“I’m glad you are alright. I am sorry about ruining your dress…” she had wanted to say more, but noticed the Director coming towards her, as well as a group of people. Without another word the young girl began to run away, rushing past the down Alp and dodging the people that were trying to corral her. their voices were a mixture of anger and confusion calling after her to stop, and anyone around her to hold her down. Despite the size of the ball gown, and how small she looked, the young lady was able to move with ease, running faster than what they anticipated and avoiding their capture. With the gap considerable the young lady quickly hid behind the open door of a dark room, quickly closing it and moving to the other side. Form the light of the hallway she watched their shadows rush past her hiding spot giving her a much needed breather.

 _Good, they can’t find me._ She tilted her head against the wall, sighing in deep exhaustion. _The doorway shouldn't have opened on its own like that… I’d be lucky if I stay this way. But more than likely ill end up aging again._ She looked at her hands as it glowed a soft golden light that faded into a pale blue the engulfed her whole body, aging her another four years younger. Yet as the light faded into the darkness the light from the adjacent room clicked on to the sound of a man humming to himself. Casually he turned on the table lamp and sat down at the mirror drying off his head and neck. At first he didn’t notice the shape in the reflection until he turned off his lamp noticing the soft glow in the corner of the room. there, by the door her saw her. he watched as her body morphed into that of a child sleeping against the wall of his room. he had half a mind to call her in and had the phone right by his ear ready to dial. But for some reason he couldn’t move, mesmerized by the soft glow of her pure aura. Against his better judgement the man carefully scooped the little girl into his arms and with ease placed her in a makeshift bed. He covered her with one of his jackets watching as she gripped it tight and curled into her side, falling into a deep sleep. Whatever questions he had could wait until tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, i had to change some things with this chapter, as writing for the second chapter made the first draft null-in-void. needless to say i kept some elements in, like the use of magic ages the main FL. and her interference in the filming of a project puts her in the path of one of the main ML, which one? you will have to see in the next installment.
> 
> Terms:  
> *world between worlds: the space between the planes of existence that the FL has access to. it is a space where time moves slowly and give the FL and most magical creatures the chance to change someone else's fate. however this eats away at the magic users mana and has drastic effects that take a long time to heal from.
> 
> *Lady in Red: the woman from the Du Riesht so Gute music video.
> 
> * Verlorener: Lost one
> 
> Authors Notes:  
> so far so good with this revamp. i think i will utilize chapter summaries as the chapters go on with more plot, but at the moment it seems redundant. so until then: Enjoy!


	3. eine Wahl

She was more trouble than she was worth, quickly regretting his choice to hide her, as no sooner had he tuck her in, did the director and a few members of security rushed into his dressing room.

“Can I help you?” he asked calmly walking away from the drawn curtain. Pulling the Directors attention towards him as he sat back down, drying off his hair.

“Have you seen an extra come past here?”

He asked short of breath and red faced, clearly taking the moment to catch his breath, while security did a quick look around. With sacred relics in hand the two Paladin’s walked about the four walls and corners of the room, with their artifacts glowing an unsettling blue light and giving a steady pulse. “There was an accident on set.”

“Accident?” the man paused placing the towel over his bare shoulders as his natural hair color peaked between the streaks of white paint.

“Yeah, the rain attachment dislodged itself and the extra tackled the Actress and Till to the ground.”

“someone tackled Till?” the man smiled and laughed finding it hard to believe that anyone could take down such a strong man. “you’re not seeing things, are you?” his jovial smile did nothing to break the Directors sour mood as it too faded into a softer grin.

“I know what I saw, I put nothing past a Termagant god knows what’s going on in their twisted minds.”

He spoke coldly as the security guards gave the all clear their relics detecting no trace. “if you see her make sure you send her to me so we can get her side of the story.” The man nodded and gave a two-finger salute. With a forced smile he watched as the director and the two Paladins leave his room and watched the bottom of the door to see if anyone else was going to come. Once their shadows were gone, he walked towards the drawn curtain. Pulling it back he took a good look at the little girl, from her round face and golden-brown new skin, to her chestnut coils tucked, and pinned into a feather clad bun. He couldn’t believe that this little girl was a Termagant, let alone one strong enough to tackle over two people. She seemed so small and frail as vulnerable as a child should be. If he were to hand her over to the Director there was no telling what the Paladins would do to her or what story would be spun with her word against Isabella’s. given the director’s personal bias and how long they had spent shooting the music video; it was likely that the little girl wouldn’t stand a chance.

_I don’t believe you could’ve tackled two people on your own. Then again… I know what I saw earlier._

He thought back to the soft blue aura, watching as the light illuminated her entire body he was surprised that the relics couldn’t pick up on the energy. Not even reacting the traces he could still feel on his skin. _Who are you to cause this much trouble?_

* * *

“Ilya…Ilya…. meine kleine Sonnenblume” Her father’s voice coaxed her from her slumber as she awoke to the moonlight bathing his pale white skin with its haunting light. His eyes burned as embers as he looked down to the sleeping child peeking from the layers of quilts and furs. “it’s time to wake up Sonne.”

His strong hands reached for the child as she slid under her blankets. Smiling warmly he scooped her into his arm quilt and all, as she rested her head into the nape of his neck and shoulders. With her arms wrapped around him she sleepily curled his white hair into her fingers. “papa…” her mousy voice echoed in the silence of the dusk and the empty halls of her home, but it was never too soft that he couldn’t hear her clearly. He always smelled of antiquity and iron, with hints of the mountain air and the spice of the pine that towered around her home. The personification of winter itself, she treasured these memories with her father often dreaming of a simpler time where it was just the two of them.

“papa…” she slowly opened her eyes, the soft glow of the moon replaced by the artificial light of a strange lamp glaring in her eyes. Slowly she woke up with aches and pains in her neck and shoulders. finding that the makeshift bed, paired with her sleeping position was the cause of her discomfort.

_How long was I asleep?_ she rubbed the sleep from her eyes sitting up form the makeshift bed until the details last night came into focus. From her time in the other world to the shocked expression on the woman’s face, it all seemed to rush back to her all at once blending and bleeding with her previous trauma. _What am I doing here, I must go!_

Quickly she jumped out of the bed, nearly tripping over her clothes pooled around her ankles with her chamise being the only thing that managed to stay on. Frantically she collected her gown and corset form the floor stuffing them a top the bed she was on. Pacing all over the room she began to look for something, anything to wear against the cold. She was engrossed, focused on the task at hand that she didn’t notice when the door opened. Quietly the man watched the little girl swarm about his dressing room, tearing through his belongs for something to wear. It was only when the door latched shut did, she turn her attention to him. Her shocked brown eyes glared at him as if he had done something wrong, covering herself with what she could.

“Good morning My Lady…” he spoke, calmly walking towards a table with a bundle under his arms. He could feel her gaze was sharp on him as he slowly took each item out of the bag, careful not to look towards her.

“I personally wanted to apologize for any misgivings that have happened to you. Given your current situation, I figured you would need some clothes. I can get you something to eat while you change, and we can discuss what happened over lunch.”

She looked at the man, figuring he was the Lord of the Estate. Judging by the color, and militaristic style of his clothes and the way he wore his hair she assumed he came from old money. But before she could make out the words to thank him, he quickly left the room leaving the gift of clothing for her to wear.

_… Human Aristocrats are very strange._ She eyed the door between inspections of the attire he had given. The fabric wasn’t nearly as thick as it should have been for the season. Not nearly the quality or caliber she was used to as a Dame herself, but she had no space to complain. It was better to swallow her pride and wear what was given. _“but beggars can’t be choosey...”_

He buried his face in the palm of his hand, groaning in frustration. Feeling like a supped-up stiff, he had never been as uncomfortable and unnatural as he was in that moment. It gave him a headache to speak so proper and old-fashioned even more so that he might be doing something illegal.

“did you give them to her?” a deep feminine voice called his attention from his worries, as an older woman stood at the other side of the hallway. He knew from her white hair unnaturally pale skin and milky eyes that she was one of the hired Termagants though he didn’t know exactly which branch she came from. Either way he knew that her presence was unsettling. It made his heartbeat increase, his fight or flight instinct threatening to take over with his mind the only thing keeping his feet planted. In contrast the woman coolly pulled out a silver case lined with neatly rolled cigarettes. she snapped her fingers as a blue flame flickered softly from the tip of her thumb igniting the smell of smoke to permeate the air.

“you did well Mr. Kruspe. All things considered of course. I was surprised you didn’t turn the Verlorener in.” Her silver lips wrapped around the butt of the filters taking a long and steady drag, her milky eyes staring directly at Richard. “and they say Guitarist don’t have a heart.” 

Her smile made his skin crawl as rows of sharp teeth gleamed as raw obsidian, with gums black as night.

“I did what you asked me to. now if you don’t mind, I have work to do.”

Nonchalantly she looked at her fingers, the thin cigar planted firmly between her ashen lips. She seemed unbothered and unnaturally calm as he began to walk away form the door, residing to lean against the wall to enjoy her cigar. He had made it a good distance down the corridor looking over his shoulder every so often, wondering why the demoness wasn’t stopping him. Richard didn’t make a promise to the woman. All he knew was that he did what he thought was the right thing by keeping the little girl hidden and went the extra mile to get her some clothes and speak to her in the style the Demoness asked him too. He had done all he could do, didn’t he?

He stopped right before leaving the hallway. For some reason that little girl’s gaze was burning in the front of his thoughts. Bright with the innocent vigor of child yet marked by a deep sadness he couldn’t put his finger on.

“You made it this far…” her voice gently carried over, warm as a friendly hand upon his shoulder as he turned around to see that she was standing there, with a plate of wrapped food in hand

“This is your Choice Mr. Kruspe, might as well see it to the end.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah... these chapters are short, but this is what happens when you write intuitively and the point of the chapter was made in such a short amount of reading time. needless to say, this won't be the norm, so don't get used to it.
> 
> finally got some steam going on in this chapter. as our mysterious Demoness seems to be moving people in the direction they need to go, to what end nobody knows. but there are some choices that have to be made.


	4. Chapter Four: Ich kenne dein Gesicht

He stood at the Threshold of the door, contemplating to enter or not. There was still a part of him that didn’t understand what was going on, wishing that the moment he opened the door, the mysterious girl would disappear. He wished for the excuse of momentary madness, anything to seem less suspicious for talking to the Demoness and carrying extra food from the table. What a relief it would be to open the door and find out that it was all a bad alcohol induced dream. Much to his regret, the little girl was still there. She remained seated on the bed still wearing the ill-fitted costume with the clothes he gave her still neatly folded next to her.

“is something wrong with the clothes?” the girl looked at Richard, shaken from her thoughts.

“n-nein, es geht ihnen gut.” she spoke in a nervous voice. “I-Ich werde sie sofort tragen.” Unknown to the girl Richard could tell she was uncomfortable and nervous. He saw the way she was gripping the skirts of her dress, tight-enough to turn her brown skin red. Her hands were shaking and the tension of her shoulders. This little Termagant was the same being that tackled a full-grown man off his feet and outran a fully trained and armed Security. He watched her transform before his very eyes, feeling the intensity of her power for himself. Richard saw himself as no threat to her and yet she was afraid of him. he could feel her intense stare on him, watching his every move as he went from placing the wrapped plate of food on the table to eating without her. Richard hoped that she would calm down watching him eat and see that he was not a threat to her. he would sneak glances between bite, watching her inch closer to the food inspecting it as if she had never seen it before. He watched her little nose hover over the morsel as she held the sandwich in her hands carefully.

“Was ist das für ein Gericht?”

“Das ist ein Sandwich. magst du es nicht?

“Ich weiß nicht was es ist.” Richard nearly choked on his drink upon hearing her words even more baffled by the sincere look on her face. Judging by the way she inspected the sandwich there was no doubt she was telling the truth. But there was something else about her gaze. As he watched her fiddle around with the food he was sure that there was something else on her mind that the sandwich was distracting her from. Perhaps it was the events from last night weighing on the little girl’s mind. Afterall she was being chased by a group of grown men and could only imagine the fear she was feeling. Despite what the director had told him Richard was curious to figure out what happened. Unable to ask Till about it, he figure the next best thing would be to talk to the one who cause all the trouble.

“Kleiner.” Richard caught her attention with a gentle approach of his voice, taking her attention away from the uneaten food “Warum haben die Beamten letzte Nacht nach dir gesucht?” He watched her slowly place down the food and look away from him, unsure of how to explain herself or if he would even believe her. even in her current state the little girl could tell that Richard Kruspe was a Human born under Vele’s star.

“Es war…ein Missverständnis. Als ich die Alp sah, dachte ich, die junge Frau sei in Gefahr.” She didn’t look him in the eyes as she explained her side of the story understanding that it was mostly out of fear than lying. Richard continued to listen. “Ich verstehe jetzt, dass ich mich möglicherweise geirrt habe und mehr Ärger verursacht habe. Ich wollte niemanden verletzen.” He watched as her tawny face began to turn red, as her eyes quickly filled with tears. Soon quiet sobs filled his dressing room as Richard watched the little girl break down in front of him.

“H-Hey! weine nicht. Was getan wird, wird getan” unsure of how to comfort her. he reached out and handed her a handkerchief.

“Du hast niemanden verletzt, der wichtig ist, Kleiner. Du bist zu jung, um so hart mit dir selbst umzugehen.” For a moment she froze reaching for the handkerchief recalling the time where she heard those exact same words. She remembered the muggy summer air of the twilight sky, basking in the last rays of sunlight before the night settled in. she could taste the salt of her tears upon her lip feeling the rush of emotions pounding in her head. She must have been no older than she was presently seeing the how big the man’s feet were compared to her own as she looked down crying.'

_“Meine Dame weine nicht. Was getan wird, wird getan.”_ His words wrapped around her as comforting arms as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. Only to be offered his handkerchief _“Du hast niemanden verletzt, der wichtig ist. Du bist zu jung, um so hart mit dir selbst umzugehen.”_

She felt his hand upon her head, a reassuring gesture that everything was going to be ok. And as she looked to the man all she could see was Richards face looking back at her with warm and kind eyes. “Ich weiß, dass es dieses hübsche Gesicht gibt, das dich nach Hause bringt, bevor dein Vater sich Sorgen macht”

his lips turned into a comforting smile, as he took her hand and lead her down the path from the Garden’s back to the manor.as the memory began to fade back into her subconscious, the little girl could feel a bit of her magic returning to her, catching small ripples of golden light upon her little hands. Though she was happy to see her power return to her, it wasn’t enough to set her back to her true age, nor was it enough for Richard to notice it even as she sat but a few feet away from her.

_‘warten…_ ’ she stared at Richard as her brown eyes began to focus on him more clearly ‘ _Ich kenne dein Gesicht ..._ ’ Without another word she took the cloth and wiped the tears from her eyes. _Ich frage mich, warum ich es vorher nicht bemerkt habe. er sieht genauso aus wie Adalric Von Kruspe. Wenn das stimmt, kann er mir vielleicht helfen, nach Hause zu kommen.'_

_"Herr--"_ she spoke once again after a moment to herself. "Vielen Dank für Ihre Freundlichkeit. Ich bin derzeit nicht in der Lage, Sie zurückzuzahlen, aber wenn Sie Ihre Hilfe noch einmal anbieten können. Ich werde hart arbeiten, um dich zurückzuzahlen." To Richard it was odd to hear such mature words coming from a littler girl, even if she was a Termagant it still gave him an unsettling feeling. Yet in still, he was curious to see that the little girl would do finding her high german speech rather refreshing.

"Kannst du mich nach Berlin bringen?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Notes:  
> i know it's been a while, but i've had to have time to figure out where i wanted this story to go, who was going to have roles and what bigger story i wanted to tell. it's a downside of being a very creative person but needless to say i am glad i was able to get back to this one, and softly reboot it with this chapter. i might add the german Translations at a later time when i'm less sleepy to do it, as i think it will help with reading the story but for now please enjoy. and be safe out there


	5. Herzeleid

Their eyes locked in an unspoken tug of war with her question lingering in the open air. She didn’t ask for something impossible or out of his control as they were finishing up the last few scenes for the music video at the Castle Babelsberg. However, because of her sudden interruption of a pivotal scene and the malfunctioning of equipment; they were extremely behind schedule.

“this’s a big request you have of me. But how do you expect me to oblige when I don’t even know your name?” he retained his composer as a means to feel the girl out, watching the honest expression of contemplation on her face, as if she was the one that should be weary of him. but given her commitment to silence he knew he wasn’t going to get an answer in that moment.

“I will see if I can help you get to Berlin. In return, I would like it if you would put on those clothes. I went through a lot of trouble to get them.” Richard relented taken aback by the child-like brightness in her eyes. Eyes that were once heavy with hidden thoughts and worries, now glowed with a soft shimmer of hope upon hearing his words. Paired with a smile that would happily oblige anything he asked of her. there wasn’t much he could do but release the tension in his own body with a hefty sigh and a weighted mask of a happiness short lived. Unwilling to break her newfound vigor, Richard excused himself from the room and when it was safe to, he cradled his head in his hand cursing himself.

_Why did I get her hopes up?_

He tossed the uneaten food into the wastebasket and walked about the castle halls deep in his present thoughts. Still processing all that had happened so far he found himself wandering into the make-up department of the castle. Things were calmer compared to what was to come later that night with a steady flow of extras coming in to get fitted for their elaborate costumes. In the back of his mind he was grateful that there wasn’t much for him to do, as all his scenes were shot the day before. But Richard was curious to see how Till and the Actress was doing and casually made his way to where he thought Till would be. Quietly he waited by the door, keeping out of the Make-up artist way. From the chest up things looked normal. Till was quietly letting the people do their job as they added layer upon layer of the white, clammy makeup upon his skin and hair. Yet, as Richard looked down, he could see an ugly black bruise had taken over the left side of his torso. Unfortunately, this was the same area that would be exposed in the music video as he could see an extra layer of make-up being added to the angry spot.

“the makeup isn't on yet and you look camera ready.” Richard joked with him hoping that would ease the tension around Till only for the man to acknowledge him with a cutting look. He could tell Till wasn’t in mood to talk especially about the other night. Yet Richard took a seat next to him hoping that their report would be enough to break the sour mood with the latter still sitting in his frustrations. For a while they sat with each other in a tensed silence, the only sound being the clanging and whirring of the makeup artist doing their jobs. Yet bellow his friends calm exterior he could tell that the man was deeply bothered with a lot on his mind. Richard was unsure on how to bring up his experience with the mysterious girl, how the director came with a fully armory looking for her. his gut told him that it wouldn’t have been a good time to bring this up and went about his plan the long way and simply asked how Till was doing.

As she stood in the dressing room the young girl stared at the bundle of clothes left behind for her. at her feet the black fabric of last nights costume pooled in torn and shredded shambles. Even the steel boned corset she had worn for years, was now rendered useless by her own hand. Her cheeks were red with frustrating and exhaustion as she stood in her undergarments obviously intimidated at the clothing. Wishing that she had never let her handmaid's put her in such an elaborate one-sided device. Yet she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving it on the floor as her fingers traced the hand stitched embroidery and soft silk, she wondered where this corset would have been if the night didn’t go the way that it did. If it would’ve been listlessly tossed aside for another day, or placed upon her body in a charred and ashen grave. How such a mundane item became a most precious thing to her as she placed the corset carefully upon the bed wrapping it in the white sheets.

Carefully she picked up the linen shirt and untied the drawstring at the neckline doing her best to dress herself. Though she was impressed with how well she managed to wear the dirndl on her own she still felt naked without her proper undergarments. She felt strange seeing herself as an adolescence, being trapped in a body that wasn’t familiar to her at all. Yet she couldn’t stay in this mindset for long, realizing the blessing it was that she was alive at all, spending the better part of seven hundred years under a river. All that was left was for her to wear her ancestral garment. As she looked at the black stone she could see a small flicker of its red light, slowly murmuring within its core. For centuries she had seen this tone worn proudly upon her Fathers chest adorned by the finest garments and armor. In his presence it glowed with the fury of the brightest star pulsating with the power of his bloodline. She had only seen glimpses of its uses, watching her father store his essence and the life force of his enemies within it. She was surprised when he bestowed it upon her as a wedding gift and even more confused when she couldn’t recall his exact instructions. She could only piece together that it didn’t glow until after she gained that Memory of _**Adalric Von Kruspe**_

Her brow pursed together as she thought of possible connections between the Ancestral stone, its previous use and its connection to her as she fastened the gemstone to her choker feeling its weight directly over her heart. Added to the initial mystery and urgency of finding her uncle the young woman could feel her mind on the verge of snapping in two if she thought of this any deeper. Opting to distract herself, she looked to the socks she had worn the night before horrified that the once pristine, white fabric was horribly stained with dirt and water. She couldn’t bring herself to wear them upon her feet and searched the small spaced for something of the like to wear.

“what good was new clothes if shoes did not come with it?” she cursed her frustrations at the man plopping back on the bed in a irritated huff. She thought back to the many chamber she had seen within the castle while the director had dragged her through the halls, and while she was being chased from the main set. She recalled seeing many people getting dressed in those chambers and assumed that there would be shoes there as well.

_I don’t think anyone would recognize me in this form. If I go now it would be harder for that horrid man to find me._

She casted a small spell over her bare feet as a soft blue glow pulsed at the soles of her feet protecting her from the impact on the stone floor. To her amazement it didn’t dwindle the soft glow within the gemstone as it continued is low vibration upon her chest.

_It looks like smaller spells won’t deplete that mana I have so far. But I still don’t know how if **that** was the reason it replenished._

She patted down her black dirndl and apron left the dressing room all together, carefully closing the door behind her. just as she suspected no one recognized her as she walked through the slightly crowded halls. For the most part the people worund her seemed to ignore her as she explored the inner workings of the castle, asking random people for directions to the dressing rooms. She began to see that the dressing rooms and other arrangements had been divided between the humans and non-human beings like herself. from her vintage point she could see the clear difference between the treatment of the two, seeing that the humans took a liking to masquerading as their counterparts. It confused her to see them apply fake fangs to their teeth and strange materials into their eyes, slopping white clay into their hair and skin to look more like the creatures that dwelled in places even her kin would dare not go. 

_I heard of humans dressing as creatures during the harvest. But this is a bit much…_

She felt her heartbeat increasing the longer she stared at the costumed people, finding it unsettling how close they looked to the **Thralls** that dwelled in the darkness. she could smell the dampness of their damp and bloated skin. their breath that smelled of the peatlands and the clotted, coagulated blood that smelled of rot and decay. She could feel the pull of her worst memory coming to the front of her mind as she closed her eyes and backed away from the dressing room. the instinct to flee overruled any previous thought in her mind. Shoes be damned, she had to escape on the off chance that one of the Thralls would figure her out, chase her down and eat her alive. Backing away she felt the hardness of another body against her back looking up to the creature doing the very thing she was fearful would happen. Griped by fear she quickly turned around to back away from him trapped by the wall behind her and the threshold to the rest of the creatures.

“What are you doing here?” to her shock its voice was meek and airy with the hinted eloquence of an educated man. Upon closer look she noted the man’s bookish and ghastly face, as she rummaged under his white cloak for a pair of spectacles. As he put on his glasses he was taken back by the little girl, surprised that she was there. He noticed the fearful look on her face and the tensed way she clutched to her skirts, not once blinking or taking her eyes away from him, as if he was the imposing danger. “are you…here by yourself?”

He lowered himself to her level, as if to get a better look at her, more like a concerned person that a mindless and hungry creature. Almost immediately he noticed her bare feet and the slight discoloration of her skin and cheeks. He could tell right away that she was hungry and scared and did his best to come off as harmless as possible. He gave her a friendly smile and a heavy sigh that filled the soundless space between them.

“why don’t we find you some shoes and something to eat first.” He reached out his hand to her, watching the little girl suspiciously inspect him.

“don’t worry it’s just makeup there aren’t any real monsters here.”

The relief in her eyes was not missed by him as her small hand reached out and cautiously took his hand. As she fallowed next to him Richard had become engrossed in thought after hearing from Till what had happened. It irritated him that the director failed to tell him that the young girl saved Sascha’s life by pushing her out of the way of the malfunctioned rain machine and the metal rod that would’ve ended her life. It was a small consequence that Till was tackled down as well, but he was nearly grievance enough to warrant a full-scale security sweep.

“so, you’re not mad at the girl?” Richard finally asked while Till placed on the rest of his costumes for the scene.

“If it wasn’t for her there would’ve been worse things to deal with. But she shouldn’t have ran from the consequences.” He watched Till calmly adjust the cuffs and collars of his costume making sure that he looked as ghastly as he could for his scenes.

“she saved a person’s life. On that, there shouldn’t be a consequence.” Richard could feel an anger forming at the bottom of his gut. He had only known the girl for a few hours and didn’t even know her name, yet he didn’t like the idea of her being harmed in anyway. For some reason he wanted to protect her as the silence between the two built up again, sensing a slight unease.

“you may be right. But, if she can't be found then we will never know.” his mouth turned into a half smiled paired with an unbothered gaze as Till patted Richard on the shoulder. “Now then, to find the princess to kiss the beast.” Till left the dressing room more upbeat than Richard expected leaving Richard to his thoughts in the now empty makeup room. despite his concerns of her being a danger being quelled there was still the concern that he may not be able to help her to Berlin. Even though Till didn’t seem upset of the situation, he could tell that the inconvenience greatly annoyed him. 

There was no way he could convince him to let her travel with them and since she didn’t come with the Eidolons that were hired, she couldn’t be arranged to leave with them either. The little girl had no identification, seemingly no knowledge of her surroundings and didn’t even give her name. there was no telling what could happen to her if she was caught with them or worse if she was caught in the countryside all alone and defenseless. His only choice would be to get the group to vote on the issue and have the majority in his favor. As Richard looked at the clock he counted how many days they had left to film and thought of how to bring it up to the rest of the band. As he walked through the castle corridors, he ran through his mind the possible scenarios that would transpire and how to best plead his case to the others. As he rubbed his tired eyes he imagined that the little girl would be sleeping in the dressing room and waking from a growling stomach. Though he wasn’t that experienced with children Richard knew that they were hungry most of the time. He made up his mind to wake her and take the little girl to pick out her own food, seeing that she didn’t like what he picked for her.

“kleines Mädchen, es ist Zeit aufzuwachen.” His voice softly carried over as the door slowly creaked open to the space of his dressing room showing signs that the girl was there but empty of her presence plunging Richard into a new level of worry and annoyance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this chapter we get to learn a little bit more about the mysterious girl and the world the characters live in where humans and non-humans coexist. but there is still a sort of old world fear of the Non-Humans even if they are there just to work. i, really glad i decided to have the story start off during the Du Reich so Gut'98 video filming as it would be the prefect setting for a fantastical story.  
> in the chapter i mention the Thrall creature type and hinted at their dangerous nature, but i'm not sure if it was enough for you the reader to understand. in the next chapter i hope to explain what those are and why the Female lead is afraid of them.
> 
> i enjoyed introducing Flake into the story and his interactions with the female lead as well as writing the dialogue between Richard and Till who is rightfully irritated at last night events and the FL actions. lets hope that things don't escalate from there!
> 
> *side note* when the bandmenbers and other characters are talking to each other it will be in english. and when they individually talk to the FL it will be in german. i figured this would be a good way to show her outsider status until she fully becomes used to the new world as her home.


	6. Mein Name ist...

His eyes scanned the entirety of the room lingering on the pile of tattered and torn clothes by the bed. There was no sign of a forced entry or struggle but it did little to ease his concerns as Richard did his best to hide his worry and concern. He walked the length of castle checking all the places he could think of a child to be. From the top rooms in the towers, to the cellars, even peeking through the window to the gardens and stable sin the distance. The little girl was nowhere to be seen.

_How hard is it to find a kid in this place?_

He scratched his head perplexed as the lights began to slowly come alive with the encroaching night. The twilight of the dusk gave her brown eyes an orange glow as she stared the food that was offered to her. she had followed the lanky man to an eating area where the food was hot and fresh. She leaned closer to the bowl. It smelled familiar enough and didn’t look as strange like the sandwich Richard had tried to give her earlier.

“don’t worry it’s not gross.” She looked up form the stew watching the man eat the meal and looked like he greatly enjoyed it. Slowly she picked up the spoon taking a small mouthful.

It reminded her of the food the maids and servants would make with fresh game. She could taste the tender rabbit and hearty potato with each bit. The rustic flavors giving her a comfort she hadn’t felt in a long time. Pretty soon she had eaten all the contents of the bowl and even used the bread to scoop what broth was left.

_I guess hungry was an understatement_ he adjusted his glasses as he looked at the little girl. it made him happy to see that she was warming up to him, recalling her standoffish and closed off demeanor with him. even as he helped her find shoes to wear she refused to say anything, let alone show any emotion. But as she ate he could see that initial caution subside into a grateful and bright smile.

“Danke Meister. Gibt es noch bäuerliches Essen?” it was night a day as she spoke to him with enthused eloquence. “Ich will dich nicht belästigen, aber ich habe seit so langer Zeit nichts mehr gegessen ...” he looked at her again adjusting his glasses. Sure enough he was sitting with a young child who looked no older than seven, yet her speech was that of an older person, clear and dignified or at least a caricature of a midlevel lady.

“Was meinst du mit diesem Kleinen, bist du alleine hier?”

She stopped for a moment placing the half eaten bread roll back on the plate. She wasn’t sure what she should say, if she should tell him about the man that had helped her before or if she should use what was left of her mana to subdue the spectacled man. It would easy to slip into his mind and mangle his memories enough to give herself and opening to escape. despite his kindness towards her, the little girl knew it would be dangerous if he kept asking her questions. Yet as she parted her lips to speak fate had decided for her.

“Da bist du ja!” her skin jumped hearing Richards voice as he entered the eatery and sat right next her flashing a veiled smile at the little girl. she could tell that he was very worried about her seeing the relief and frustration in his gaze just as _**Adalric**_ used to when hide and seek went too far. She flinched when he raised his hand, expecting a swift punishment for her actions. But instead Richard placed his hand a-top of head tousling the loose coils.

“here, you should eat up.” he placed another bowl of the rabbit stew and gave her an extra bred roll. The shimmer in her eyes was a thank you enough as she began to eat her second helping. Richard could feel a questioning gaze on him turning to see scrutinous blue eyes glare at him from behind a pair of glasses.

“Thank you for taking of her Flake?”

Flake looked to the little girl and then to Richard catching a glimpse of the gemstone resting on her chest. He noticed a subtle glow of red light pulsing from the gem that didn’t happen before now, concerned that it had something to do with Richard.

“Little one.” He asked grabbing her attention from the half finished meal. “I have something to discuss with Richard, will you be ok by yourself?”

She could tell that the man called Flake was suspicious of her, but given her position she was in no shape to retaliate. She simply nodded and quietly went back to eating, watching as the two men dressed in white went to another table to talk.

For a few moments the two men sat in awkward silence with Richard thinking of a way to start the conversation.

“so how much do I owe you—” “ send her home now.” Richard was taken back by Flakes directness as the latter looked at him with unwavering and irritated eyes.

“if you hurry she can still ride with the rest of them back to the city.”

“about that…” Richard started with a nervous grin. “she didn’t exactly come with the Eidolons we hired.”

“What do you mean?”

Richard looked around them to make sure that no one else was listening to their conversation before leaning closer to Flake. “I mean that she didn’t come with the group.”

“she’s unregistered?”

“maybe… the only thing she said to me was that she needs to get to Berlin. There’s a chance she has family there”

“I see do you know what class she could be?”

“not really, only what that Demoness told me.” He took out a cigarette and began to take a long drag of the substance. He didn’t show it but Flake was worried. It didn’t sit well with him that there was an unregistered Esoteric running about, even worse that the only ones would could help were already on their way back to Berlin.

“did they say anything else about her?” Richard shook his head and continued to smoke, calming his nerves in the process.

“it doesn’t sit well with me that we don’t know who or **what** she is. But I would be more disturbed if we just left her here all alone. Were you planning on tagging her along with us?”

“is that a bad idea?”

“you tell me, six grown men smuggling an Esoteric child into the city doesn’t look suspicious to you?”

Richard couldn’t argue that point as he turned to see the little girl drinking some water after finishing the second helping of stew, looking better than she did earlier that day.

“I wonder… if we can figure out what Class she belongs to it would make it easier to bring her along.”

“meaning?”

“meaning, the child is part of the **Iluminous** , **Inferno** or **Magnus Class** she might be able to disguise herself. it should be easier to help her along that way” Richard was surprised by the amount of knowledge Flake had, wondering why he didn’t come to him sooner rather than doing things the hard way by asking Till about the night before.

“thanks, I should’ve came to you sooner then”

“oh? Didn’t you ask the little girl anything?”

“not really I was more concerned about why she tackled Sascha and Till to the ground.”

“that was her?!” Flake was surprised upon hearing this news, that the little girl with no shoes was the same being that caused so much trouble the other night.

“she’s smaller than I expected.”

“yeah it surprised me too… it turned out that the rain machine had malfunctioned and would’ve killed Sascha if that girl didn’t push them out of the way.”

“did she know that?”

“the little girl? no, she thought Till was an **Alp**.”

Flake quietly took in the information as Richard began to tell him the rest about what he knew of the nameless little girl. he would catch glances between Richard and the child surprised to see how well she sat still. seemingly lost in deep thought, yet anxious about something. There was a haunting familiarity about the little girl. a stirring in Flakes soul that recognized her from another place but could never recall with clarity.

“so, what is her name?” Flake asked with the blank look on Richard’s face giving him the answer. without another word he left Richard to finish his cigarette and returned to see the little girl watching the filming of the scenes in the ballroom on the other side of the castle. He noticed her tapping her hand upon her lap, keeping count with the dancers as a warm glow of nostalgia flushed over her face.

“Magst du die Musik?” he caught her by surprise taking his seat from across the table. “Ich kann dich alleine zählen sehen”

“Es tut mir leid, aber sie haben die Musik noch nicht gespielt.” Her voice was matter of fact as she looked longingly towards the ballroom scene. “Es ist nur so, dass es mein Lie blingstanz bei Balls ist…” there was that distance in her gaze as the young girl recalled the many times she had danced that same dance, taking for granted the joy she had in those moments.

“vergib mir, dass ich so spät gefragt habe, aber wie heißt du?”

“Sie können mich…Lady Markova nennen” she replied with a nervous smile as a sense of unease rushed over her. she looked around the seemingly normal surrounding sensing that she was in danger. She watched as the shadows began to stir and writhe violently with unrest, just as they did before she was pulled within the **Unseen World** and before she encountered **Him.** Yet this time she couldn’t act. This time she was a small child at the mercy of her Elders with no means of escape. Bound by social etiquette and centuries of tutelage she struggled to keep her instincts at bay as Flake asked her more questions.

“Lady Markova, das ist ein hübscher Name. Kannst du mir sagen, wie du hierher gekommen bist oder wo deine Eltern sind?” Flake was unaware of the little girl’s growing anxiety. He didn’t notice how quickly the nervous smile inverted onto itself. That behind her distancing stare she could still see the fires burning everyone alive. She smelt the charred flesh and blood in the smoky air. She could feel her lungs stinging from the rush of winter air, how her legs ached from how hard she ran. As if his subconscious was trying to stop him from asking more questions Flake found his words fuddled and misspoken. finally, he took a moment see how uncomfortable the Lady Markova was. He saw her arms and shoulders close in tightly around her like a brick wall. with her body shaking and her brown eyes dilated she stared at the floor as if bracing for a pending attack. He wasn’t sure what it was that was pushing the little girl into a panic attack or how to help her through it. No sooner did he turn the Richard did he instinctual cover her with his coat and held her in his arms.

“I think that’s enough.” He picked her up in the bend of his arm cradling the little girl by his chest. “We can pick this up tomorrow.”

Without another word Richard left Flake in the cafeteria. The latter sat in the relative silence adjusting his classes to his face while the image of the distressed little girl burned in his mind. He felt guilty tactlessly asking her about her parents, and why she was alone. His knew his intentions were good as he only wanted to safely help the little girl. yet he couldn’t figure out what caused the sudden episode.

_Was it something I said?_ He asked himself, replaying the events as best as he could. If his line of questioning had triggered an episode of PTSD. Flake began his cycle of deduction unaware of the shadow looming upon the table. A black, taloned hand emerged from the void, reaching out to grab him. from the corner of his eye Flake jumped back in his seat, his heart racing and lungs twisted from the sudden flight or fight response.

“oi, it’s just me.” He looked to see Till sitting in the same spot the little girl was in and still wearing his costume and makeup.

“how long were you sitting there?” Flake asked. Taking a moment to catch his breath while Till looked at his with enquiring eyes.

“…a while. You seemed out of it.” he spoke in a casual manner eating the last bit of his meal yet noticing the slight distress in Flakes expression. “something on your mind?”

The walk back to the dressing room seemed longer than Richard remembered as he continued to hold the little girl in his arms. despite her eloquence and weighty title, she was tiny, and as frail as any other child. Though he didn’t see it, he could feel her tears dropping on his shoulder. He could hear her sobs, quiet and muffled from the safety of his costume. Unable to do much in the moment but hold her until he made it to the only place that was safe for her.

“bitte ... lass mich nicht wieder alleine” it was the softest whisper of a voice no louder than a snuffed candle, yet he heard her loud and clear. “er wird mich finden ... er wird mich **verletzen**. Bitte lass ihn mich nicht finden.”

Richard wasn’t sure how to answer the little girl. he had no idea with this **He** was or how keep her safe. No idea who, or what she was. But what he did recognize was fear. He saw it in her eyes the moment Flake was asking her his questions. He saw the confused, frightened look of a child that saw true horror. He recognized the build-up that was happening and wanted no part seeing that result. He paused before opening the door to the dressing room allowing her a few more moments to let It out

“weine nicht Lady Markova. Es wird in Ordnung sein.” He rested his hand over her head cradling the little girl in his arms.

“—jya.” he looked down to see the little girl lift the coat form her face revealing puffy red eyes and tear stained cheeks.

“Mein Name ist Aniya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> name drops!  
> Name Drops everywhere!
> 
> but in all seriousness it took a while to write this out as i had to take moments to play the scenes out in my head and really get a fell of what each person would say, and what they would do and how they would interact with First stage FL. plus, its father's day/Juneteetnh weekend so there asnt much time during the day the flesh this out regardless. but in the spirit of father's day i wanted to lay the foundation for the surrogate paternal role that Richard and to an extent Flake are giving to the FL. and i also wanted to give a little peek into the danger that with be present through out the story. just a peek though.
> 
> brief explanation of the Esoteric Classes will be explained in future chapters. but for now Esoteric's/Eidolons is the official name given to Non-Human, Non-Fae beings.
> 
> that being said, i want the chapter to do the rest of the talking in the summary, hopefully as the story goes on ill get better at these chapter. summaries.
> 
> be safe out there.


	7. Trust

She wiped the tears from her face as the rough fabric of his coat reddened her cheeks. It had been moments since she confessed to him her true name in her moment of vulnerability. As she feared Richard said nothing but sat her down upon the bed and went to wash the makeup form his face. In her solitude all she could think about was the conversation he had with the thin man he called Flake. She didn’t mean to eavesdrop and did her best to ignore the sounds of their uncultured German. But her sense was sharp and her hearing was no exception taking in all that they discussed as she quietly ate her food.

_Unregistered Eidolon, Esoteric Classes…_ She nervously looked to the occupied washroom, pulling the coat tightly over herself. _how much did everything change?_

She felt herself sinking into unease and depression as the light in her pendent flickered slowly to her mood. Richard took his time to clean the makeup of his face until he could see himself again he was relieved to see his natural hair finally breath, no longer constricted by the weight of the hair dye and processing materials. Even his skin seemed healthier once he removed the paint and irritating contacts. Even thought he knew the effect would’ve been added later, he wasn’t sure why the director wanted him to wear the painful aesthetic. Feeling refreshed in his changed clothes he opened the washroom door to feel the mood in the room hadn’t changed from her gloomy state. He watched her sit with her knees tucked to her chin, staring off into the distance. He wasn’t sure if she noticed him or not as Richard made his way into the room.

“Are you still in a mood little Anjya?” the little girl remained unmoved, even as he took a seat across from her

“…what is—this—place?” he paused at the sound of her voice struggling to speak on his level.

_Better late than never._ He smiled, taking a light to his cigarette before taking a long drag. “do you mean this building?”

“no…the land.” He could tell that there was mistrust in her eyes it was a look that warned him she was thinking of something dangerous and every fiber in his being was warning him to stop her.

“it’s dangerous. you wouldn’t last long enough to make it Berlin” he calmly told her as the cigarette rested between his lips watching that mistrust in her eyes slowly turn to anger.

“how—I can manage on my—own!”

**“can you?”** his sternness caught her off guard as she could see the ghost of A… disappointed gaze at her. “you are a child with no family, papers or ID. Do you know how easy it would be for someone to snatch you up and kill you?” his blue eyes narrowed on her a harsh coldness. Of course, he wasn’t sure if any of this was true. But Richard was aware of how little the government cared about Esoterics and Eidolons; recalling the many missing people and children papers that coated parts of the country and how little the rest of the world seemed to care.

“I—” he watched her face softened and voice tremble as she was on the verge of tears again her face turned red again as she did her best to hold back from crying. “I don’t want you to have Trouble…I’ve burdened you enough—I…”

It was in that moment Richard realized that Anjya had heard his conversation with Flake. In her mind she saw herself as causing him trouble and must have felt that way since she stepped foot in the castle. Yet that was only half the answer. Richard saw her reaction at the table though he had assumed that Flake was asking invasive questions, the movement of her eyes told him otherwise. She was afraid of something in the castle.

“you’ll turn my hair grey one day.” He snuffed out his cigarette and knelt to her level wiping the fresh teardrops from her eyes. “I told you I will help you get to Berlin. I intend to keep my promises.” Once again he gifted her with an honest smile prompting Anjya to return the favor by giving him a trusting smile and hopeful eyes

“Really I’m fine.” Flake reassured the skeptical Till as the latter slowly drank his water with eyes locked on the smaller man. “maybe I’m a bit tired from the reshoots.” He nervously cleaned his glasses hoping that Till would drop the line of questioning.

“could be, I’m just concerned since you nearly jumped out your skin.”

“no one told you to keep your makeup on!”

“I’m taking a break I still have four scenes to do.” He took a bite of his meal and looked back to Flake. “I don’t want to waste time putting this shit on and taking it off.”

“yes, yes I can’t argue with that. How much longer do we have again?” Flake readjusted his glasses still jumpy from the vision he just witnesses as his eyes became fixated on every shadow. Till noticed this but said nothing as the silence began to build up again before he answered.

“after tonight there’s only the last half of the video so two more nights. Is there somewhere you need to be?”

“not really. I think the castle is getting to me, I’m just anxious to return back to the city.” Till could sense Flake’s uneasiness and thought again about prying him further. He had finished his scene early and was his way to the eatery. His frustration renewed from Richards odd line of questioning. Though he didn’t blame his bandmate from not knowing what happened, his pride was still wounded all the same. He had some questions he wanted to ask Flake about the girl that tackled him and Sascha to the ground and knew that he would be there for dinner. What he didn’t expect was to see Flake talking to a little girl in such a gentle voice. Till stopped himself from entering the cafeteria and remained hidden, his gaze fixating on the little girl. there was something familiar about the child that he couldn’t put his finger on. From the way she wore her hair, to the golden-brown skin upon her shoulders. she looked out of place compared to the ghastly visage of his bandmate in front of her yet blending with the gothic aesthetic. However, the longer he looked the more familiar she seemed feeling a cold sensation in the pit of his stomach.

He was curious to what Flake was asking her, catching the subtle ways her body reacted to his questions. Watching as her little shoulders tensed and closed herself in, the small tremors the body would experience just before a person would cry. The sensation deepened the longer he stared at the situation anticipating the moment where her sobs would reach him and break the dull silence with the pleasant sound. As if to quell his wicked thought, Richard was there to rescue her. He watched him place the white coat over the little girl, lifting her small body into his arms without gracing him with a peek of what she looked like. obscured from sight; a twinge of jealousy rippled through him as they vanished within the castle.

“the castle’s been getting to all of us. after tonight we should be packing up to go home.”

“you think so?”

“I do, as long as nothing else strange happens” the white makeup gave Till’s eyes a haunting gaze unlike the rest of the members. “speaking of strange, who was that little girl you were talking to?” he calmly stared at Flake watching his eyes remain avoidant from him as he thought of an answer.

“she’s a crew members kid. She got lost looking for food is all.” He knew Flake was lying by the break in his voice and the twitch of his left ear. He wasn’t a man that had the patience to talk to children, especially young ones. Although he couldn’t get a good look at her face, he could tell that the child was at least six years old; too young for Flake’s patience.

“I see. Her mother must be a beautiful woman.”

“what makes you say that?” Flake did his best to hide the unease and nervousness in his voice taking special care not to give Till a reason to pry any further than he already was.

“I can’t see him being so close to a kid without getting something in return. Given how calm she was around him, it must be something worth-while.”

Richard and Anjya stared each other down once more; a confused and frustrated look fixated on the man’s face. Anjya sat with her hand folded over her lap glaring at the man as a tutor would their student who wasn’t grasping a simple concept. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves gazing at the man as he furiously smoked to make sense of it all.

“so you are the Daughter of a Prussian Aristocrat by the name of Lord Markov… during your engagement party your home was attacked and you escaped to the river, where you have been until now…”

Richard wasn’t sure how to make of her story. Half of him thought this as an elaborate fantasy of a truly disturbed child, while the rest of him feared it was the truth. He could deal with the former of the two much easier with a good amount of therapy and a good spanking. But the more he thought back to their first meeting the more it dawned on him that she was telling the truth.

“if what you are telling me is true, then you have been in that river for the better part of –400 years.” He watched her face drop into a painful expression of disbelief.

“no—not 400 years. A week at m-most…you are mistaken” her smile was forced from ear to ear a flimsy fortress of plywood against the maelstrom of emotion trying to break through. “I tell you—you are wrong. In Berlin I show you.” she peered at him with spiteful determination her brown eyes beaming form the red of a long night of emotional turmoil. With the dark of the night submitting to the approaching dawn Anjya could feel herself growing weaker. without saying another word Anjya went to sleep curling the blankets around her body. In her hand she clasped the jewel close to her heart, feeling its magic softly pulsating with life. Not as strong and vibrant as it used to but still glowing all the same. 

Richard couldn’t bring himself to say or do anything more in the conversation. Thinking back on many times he spoke the truth to an unwilling listener, there wasn’t much he could say in the moment to change her mind. And he had no desire to push her into acceptance, fearful of what damage that could do to her already fragile state of mind. For the remainder of the early morning hours, Richard mused on her story. It was more fantastical than any Grimm Fairytale, or Gothic Novel he could think of writhe with both great promise and great tragedy. Picking up the clothes she was found in, he couldn’t find any traces of modern stitching. There was no tag to indicate size, or what materials the clothing was made from. Even the bonding within the corset was sturdy as if made of steel or another flexible metal. Yet he was no closer to figuring out exactly what class of Eidolon she was, or how to get her on the bus with them back to Berlin. Even as he stood next to his bandmates in full costume, he was sure on how to help Anjya. He wasn’t there when she woke up and he didn’t want to stir up unpleasant emotions from their conversation all of which was still present in his mind. Luckily, he didn't have much to do but walk in Line with the rest of the Band form the castle to the forest, the last scene for them to film.

“And cut! That’s a good take. I think we are done.” A collective sigh of relief hovered over the filming crew as they packed up their equipment and began the long and tedious process of clearing the location. It felt good for him to take off that costume for the last time as he stretched his body looking out to the wilderness for the last time.

“lucky for us the Director didn’t need our faces.” Flake stood next to Richard as he continued to enjoy the peacefulness of nature. “you had that sour look on your face the whole time. I take it the little Miss opened up to you then?”

“she did. It was a lot to process.”

“and?”

“she’s small enough to hide in the back of the bus. If we get there before everyone else, it should be fine that way.” Flake looked towards the bus as it pulled into the driveway of the back of the castle. He had a thought to confront Richard for ignoring his question as his own curiosities was had grown from the other night. However, he noticed the depth of thought Richard was in and help his curiosities to himself for now.

“well you might want to get there soon. It looks like there are loading Chris’s drum set right now.”

Flake watched him finish his cigarette and snuff the bud on the soles of his shoes. there was determination in his gaze as he was fixated on helping the strange little girl, the mysterious Markova. As Richard made his way through the castle, he had to think of a way to sneak her past so many people. The Eidolons had left days ago and there was no way for him to finesse that a little girl was supposed to be there. Quickly but calmly made his way back to his dressing room finding the little girl carefully wrapping her old clothes where the sheets from the bed.

“you don’t need to bother with that.”

“what are you—” “there isn’t much time for me to explain everything now.” He pulled her away from the bedside and looked deeply into the concerned gaze on her face she saw that Richard’s thought were racing behind his calm eyes and worried that last night's conversation might not have been as informative as she once thought. “you don’t need to tell me every little detail. I just need to know if you can walk around unseen.”

“I can… the sun hasn’t risen yet— but that…takes time.” she clasped her hand over the family heirloom around her neck, feeling the soft pulse of what little mana she recovered. She looked on as Richard showed her where she was to go: a long metal carriage lacking horses. Though she was inhuman with many powers, in her current state there was little she could really do Without using too much of her mana and risk becoming younger. But there was a look on Richard face that reminded her of her former caretaker. There was a trustful determination about him, an uncanny need to keep his word at whatever cost.

“if you lead me home…I will follow—I trust you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took a lot longer than i thought i would to finally round out this chapter.it takes time to craft a good story... a COHERENT story even more so. it has taken a lot longer to get to the tour bus than i thought it would as i didn't anticipate Till and Flake having more of a presense in the first part of the story. however i think this is a good thing as now you as the reader can see the connections the FL has with the people around her.
> 
> something i didn't mention in the previous chapters is that the reason why the FL: Anjya is so trusting with Richard is hs resemblance to her Governor: or caretaker when she was a child. outside of her family this man was one of her first connections to the human world and she cared about him very much, somethin i truly hope to explore in the next few chapters. anyway i hope you enjoyed this chapter and i look forward to seeing you all again soon.


	8. Cat in the Box.

Richard’s imagination had gotten he better of him when Aniya said she would follow him. for some reason he saw her clutching his hand, sheepishly fallowing after him in the crowded corridors. He would rather suffer the misunderstanding of adopting a child than the unnatural chill of Aniya following behind him within his own shadow. Unseen by everyone around them, she walked within the darkness of his own shadow a shapeless mass of black smoke; looking more like a Death-eater. the sensation of her presence kept him in a constant state of restlessness, as if his baser instincts was telling him for the unseen danger he clearly knew about. But he thought back to her reluctant smile and the worry hidden behind her gaze. Despite not having much of choice or even knowing him she trusted Richard to help her; the least he could do was withstand a bit of supernatural chill

“are you ok…?” her voice washed over him as a bitter winter gale with the softness of a summer breeze. Its airy echo sent chills down his spine as he looked over his shoulder to Aniya in a specter like form, floating behind him as an ethereal being. Most of physical feathers were cloaked in the darkness say for her eyes that shimmered in a sliver tint

“yeah…just nervous?”

“nervous?” she moved form his shadow to the ones that clung to the outside walls, now floating beside him. She looked at the man who was clearly unsettled by her current form. “Are humans—not used to Vampires?”

“we are…not a lot of vampires can do what you do.” He cleared his throat noting the perplexed look on her face. She found it odd that he would say such a thing, now curious as to what vampires had become in these times, now that it was becoming clear to her that Richard could be right.

“that metal carriage… why is it called a—bus?”

“because it’s bigger than a car.”

“c-aa-r?” as she stepped out of the shadows her body returned to its corporeal form with the silver in her eyes darkening into the warm brown color he was used to. “what is a car?” she asked after Richard, following his quick steps. She was worried that he didn’t hear her question and asked him again, this time in a louder voice. she found it rude that he abruptly covered her mouth with his large hand and gave her the universal single to be quiet. Her lips pouted her disapproval but said nothing more as she stood by and watched him check the inside of the bus. While Richard was inside Aniya inspected the construct in front of her. it was simple in its outer appearance and decoration looking more like a long beetle than any carriage she was used to. Her fingers touched the cold metal as she walked around the bus getting a feel of the machine and how it worked. Her mind was flooded with images of the gears and pivots that vibrated with heat and steam. 

She recalled seeing these designs before. While she was hiding in her father’s study he was approached by a man known only as the Mad Alchemist. She would hear her father speak of him as one of his peers from his former life, fondly recalling how he was the only other true genius than him. every month he would bring blue-prints and sketches of various machines and crudely made wooden scales. For hours he would entertain her father on how the machines would be made, their purpose and his hopes for them. But every time her father would turn him down the one reward the Alchemist wanted and send him on his way with more funds to peruse his passions.

“ _I guess he wasn’t that mad after all.”_

She circled back to where Richard had left her and could see him standing in the middle of the aisle looking at the interior length. Already there were a few back packs in place where he planned to hide her. Noticing that Paul, and Oliver had already claimed spots in the middle of the bus. Chris and Till had taken the spot in the back of bus leaving Flake and Himself to the front. She knew that look of worry on his face well having seen _**Adalric**_ with that same tense brow when he was faced with a difficult situation It didn’t take her long to see the problem he was facing with the layout of the bus and the placement of its occupants and cargo. He had planned to hide her in one of the seats in the back of the bus where he and the other gentlemen could keep her safe. But given how someone else claimed those spots it would be too suspicious if he were to change the arrangement now.

After a few more moments of thinking Richard spotted a trunk sitting in the middle of the back aisle. He quickly opened the trunk finding it spacious enough for a little girl to lay in. it was sturdy enough to hold for the duration of the ride and as he looked back to Aniya she could see the uncomfortable and dangerous idea glowing in his gaze.

Another day had came into being as the sun creeped upon the towers of the castle Flake took one last look upon the building. Thinking of when the next time he would come to stay at the place and thankful that his experience was finally over. But as he boarded the bus, he was surprised to see Richard siting in the aisle across from him absent of his current companion. He gave him a questioning look mouthing the whereabouts of the little girl to which, in a rather secretive manner Richard nodded towards the trunk in the back of the bus, right between Till and Chris.

“Are you crazy?”

“his stuff was already there.”

“so you stuffed her in the trunk?” Flake was doing his best to keep the appearance of a calm and casual conversation subconsciously aware that others were looking on.

“what else was I supposed to do, she insisted. it will be easier to get her home this way.”

All Flake could do was sigh with a light smile across his face. He could see that nothing he could say would move Richard to sway from the plan in his mind. Shrugging his shoulders, he made himself comfortable in his seat as the castle began to fade into the background.

The ride back to Berlin was the longest 40 mins of Richards life. Every so often he would use the windows and reflective surface to check on the trunk

He made sure to secure it so it wouldn’t move around so much, but he didn’t expect Till to use it as a footrest while he slept.

he thought back to the doubtful look on Aniya’s little face as she laid down in the trunk, clutching her bundle to her chest. Despite being a vampire, she trembled at the thought of being trapped in the makeshift coffin and turned away from him as he closed the lid shut, snapping the latches in place. He made it back to his seat before anyone else could suspect him confident that only Flake knew what he was doing. With the sound of conversation finally dying down, Richard took a moment to casual look behind him. there was nothing out of the ordinary that was going on with Till and Chris having a friendly conversation. Though he couldn’t make out what they were saying he was relieved that it was nothing too serious.

to hear Till laughing and taking on a lighter disposition brought a sense of normalcy. That perhaps everything that happened was a bad dream within the walls of that dreaded castle. Caused by stress and an influx of Eidolon energy. Or maybe it was a curse cast upon him by that white-haired demoness.

Weighed down by the fatigue of his experience, Richard dared to close his eyes drifting into a deep sleep. He felt the sun of a summer day on his skin, looking to see spots of sunlight peeking through the leaves of a great tree. Slowly the details of a grassy meadow filled with wild flowers came into focus as he sat up from the tree. Watching as the waves of vibrant colors moved with the gentle breeze. He could hear the laughter of a little girl in the distance as a younger visage of Aniya rushed towards him, emerging from the sea of flowers as a Faye from a fairytale adorned with precious gems and fine silk.

“Jager-mann Jager-mann you lost your gun. How will you hunt the rabbit fun?” she teased him as her little arms held a bundle of sunflowers close to her chest.

“ungezogenes Mädchen, what did I tell you about adventuring alone?” He had never heard that rhyme before but laughed as if it was a familiar joke between the two of them. He couldn’t hear what she was asking him afterwards, only feeling the overwhelming sensation of paternal affection as looked upon the little girl tying her flowers together with twine. He watched her show him her messy handiwork of a bouquet beaming with pride in herself that she was able to do it on her own. With sleepy eyes the little girl rested her head on his lap, content to take a nap under the shady tree. Though he wanted to wake her for the walk back, he couldn’t bring himself to wake the sleeping girl. instead he reached out and petted her little head where he thought to feel the coils of her soft wooly hair was the warm fur of an animal. Ten minutes out of the city, Richard was awakened by the sound of commotion as he looked down to see a black and brown furred Norwegian Cat sleeping in his lap. Frozen in confusion he wondered where the animal came from and felt around its neck for a collar. as his fingers traced around the creatures neck he was both astonished and terrified to see the same gem stone that Aniya was wearing. though it was smaller in size and weight he recognized the insidious red glow within the gem as a sinking feeling loomed in his chest. Quickly, he looked towards Flake with the latter hinting towards the back of the bus. as he looked back he saw that the trunk was opened with Aniya’s bundles of clothes sitting by Till’s feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally made it out of the castle and right into another problem... buses.


End file.
